By Vlad Kaczynski
Editor’s Note: Professor Vlad Kaczynski is an Emeritus faculty member at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. In 1976 he joined SMEA (then the Institute for Marine Studies) as a Senior Fulbright Scholar coming to the University of Washington from Poland. He earned degrees from the Merchant Marine Academy, Gdynia, and later to Higher School of Economics in Sopot and finally to University of Gdansk where he obtained his PhD degree in Marine Economics. 

Strategic Planning
By Dave Fluharty
It has been more than 10 years since SMEA developed a Strategic Plan. Many changes have occurred since the last effort and SMEA is facing many challenges. Therefore, SMEA Director Nives Dolšak led faculty and staff into a planning process during Autumn 2023 and Winter 2024 with facilitation by consultants Brian Murphy and Maddie Immel from BERK Consulting, Inc., Seattle. 

By Bryce Lewis-Smith and Kurt Ellison 
As global temperatures continue to rise due to increased concentrations of greenhouse gasses, we need to rethink business-as-usual. Therefore, various sectors and industries are pulling together to determine pathways to reduce their carbon footprints. Maritime shipping, ports, and the connected supply chain play a pivotal role in tackling a globally integrated challenge. 

Commercial ships are a critical link in the global supply chain, transporting raw materials, goods, and products across oceans and driving economic growth. 

By Dave Fluharty and Leah Gerber
Purpose of this Feature: SMEA likes to recognize the contributions our graduates are making.  We’d like to feature everyone but with nearly 900 alumni that is not realistic.  Let us know when you are ready to contribute your accomplishments and failures so we can learn.
Leah Gerber graduated from SMEA in 1993.  Her Master’s Thesis was titled, Endangered Species Act Decision Making in the Face of Scientific Uncertainty: A Case Study of the Steller Sea Lion with Professor Warren Wooster as her committee supervisor.  

Please join us this Thursday, May 16th, from 12-1 PM in FSH 203 or on Zoom for our third SMEA Speaker Series: Careers in Marine and Environmental Affairs. This week we will be hearing from three SMEA alumni, Valerie Cleland, James Lee, and Devon Thorsell, who will be sharing their experience working with non-profits and advocacy organizations.
Zoom: https://lnkd.in/dPa4uAQG
Meeting ID: 927 8726 9100
Passcode: seminar 

Please join us for our SMEA thesis and capstone presentations on both Friday, May 10th and 17th in MAR 168 or on Zoom. Each presentation will be followed by a short Q&A.
Zoom link: https://washington.zoom.us/j/7379570075
Full presentation schedule is posted below. We hope to see you there! 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Thursday, May 2, at 12:00 pm. Please see below for location details:
Ocean Sciences Building (OCN) Room 203 or via Zoom using the information below:
https://washington.zoom.us/j/98174117556?pwd=V1JQeldTdTFRRFlKc0E4Q3FSMEo2dz09
Meeting ID: 981 7411 7556
Passcode: 563969 US (Seattle)
A copy of the meeting agenda is provided. Please contact Kiley Pazcoguin (kpaz@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

Please join us this Thursday, April 25th, from 12-1 PM in FSH 203 or on Zoom for our second SMEA Speaker Series: Careers in Marine and Environmental Affairs. This week we will be hearing from four SMEA alumni, Henry Bell, Alex Erzen, Kirsten Feifel, and Bobbak Talebi who will be sharing their experience working with state and local governments.
Zoom: https://lnkd.in/dPa4uAQG
Meeting ID: 927 8726 9100
Passcode: seminar 

SMEA alumni, Olivia Zimmerman (’22) and Tanya (Eison) Pelach (’22), recently published a paper in Frontiers in Climate: “Addressing inequities and meeting needs of Indigenous communities in floodplain management” that emerged from their capstone with The Nature Conservancy.
This work examined the degree to which the Washington State Floodplains by Design (FbD) program met the needs of Washington Tribes. The research found that while FbD was meeting some needs, there were areas where it could better support Tribal communities and address inequities. 

SMEA alum, Andrew Kenefick (’23), has been appointed to the Roundtable on Plastics Committee established by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide as a forum for examining issues associated around national efforts to reduce plastic pollution.

The Roundtable will serve as a collaborative platform for federal agencies and cross-disciplinary experts in academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations to discuss research initiatives.